Why is MTV cancelling ‘Ridiculousness’ and how much money did professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek earn on the show?
After nearly 15 years on MTV, the comedy-clip show ‘Ridiculousness’ is to be cancelled, it was revealed this week.
Long-running MTV show Ridiculousness, whose host reportedly pockets over $30 million a year, is set for cancellation after nearly 50 seasons.
TMZ first reported on Thursday that MTV’s owner, the recently-merged Paramount Skydance, has opted to axe the comedy-clip show, which first aired just over 14 years ago. The show’s current season, its 46th, will be its last.
MTV targets “refreshed programming”
In the wake of TMZ’s report, Variety was told by a source with inside knowledge of the cancellation that Paramount is seeking “a more curated slate of content” on MTV that “embraces its experimental DNA”. The decision also came down to a push for “different creative voices” and “refreshed programming”, Variety was informed.
A years-long fixture on MTV
A channel launched in 1981 - with co-creator John Lack delivering the now-iconic announcement, “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll” - MTV became the first TV network to play music videos 24 hours a day. However, it later began to move away from its non-stop-music model.
Amid growing competition from other music channels, MTV diversified its programming, developing into a general entertainment network by adding shows from genres such as comedy and reality-TV to its slate.
First broadcast in August 2011, Ridiculousness became a staple of MTV’s programming: indeed, Variety reported in 2020 that there was a point in June that year when the show accounted for “113 hours out of the network’s entire 168-hour lineup”.
How much does the show’s host earn?
Since its inception, Ridiculousness has been hosted by Rob Dyrdek, a former professional skateboarder who also serves as an executive producer.
News of Ridiculousness’s cancellation comes days after Bloomberg reported that Dyrdek’s earnings on the show have reached at least $32.5 million a year, citing court documents seen by the media outlet.
Dyrdek is said to be paid $61,000 per episode as host, plus a further $21,000 per episode as an executive producer, in addition to $10 million in bonuses. A show that has yielded nearly 1,700 episodes to date, Ridiculousness typically sees Dyrdek record more than 330 new episodes a year.
What is Rob Dyrdek’s net worth?
The 51-year-old Ohio native, who has starred in other MTV shows such as Rob & Big and Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory, is reported to have amassed a $200 million fortune.
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